Ingrid Tieken Boon van Ostade Libros

Late Modern English is a fruitful period for linguistic research of all kinds. This became evident once again at the Third Late Modern English Conference, held at the University of Leiden in 2007, from which the papers presented in this volume derive. Themes dealt with include the nature, form and effects of prescription, an issue of increasing importance during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries; grammars and dictionaries produced during the period; specific topics in Late Modern English grammar and lexis; the language of letters; and methodological issues in the study of Late Modern English as such.

This work provides an in-depth exploration of the publication history of eighteenth-century English grammars, highlighting the need for urgent revisions to Alston's 1965 bibliography. It utilizes a variety of sources, including the Eighteenth Century Collections Online (ECCO) database, which reveals previously unexplored information such as book and library catalogues. Additionally, it incorporates Carol Percy’s database on the reception of these grammars in periodical reviews and precept corpora that analyze individual grammatical constructions across various works. By examining specific grammars, the text addresses longstanding questions regarding authorship, such as those related to the Brightland/Gildon grammar and Ann Fisher's work. It also raises new inquiries, notably the shift in approach between the first and second editions of Priestley's grammar, and the influence of earlier publications on later practical grammars aimed at mothers and children. The contributions portray grammarians as individuals with distinct qualifications and teaching methodologies, all striving to present practical English grammars to the public. Importantly, this collection illustrates the potential of ECCO as a valuable resource for future research in the field.

The future of English linguistics as envisaged by the editors of Topics in English Linguistics lies in empirical studies, which integrate work in English linguistics into general and theoretical linguistics on the one hand, and comparative linguistics on the other. The TiEL series features volumes that present interesting new data and analyses, and above all fresh approaches that contribute to the overall aim of the series, which is to further outstanding research in English linguistics. For further publications in English linguistics see also our Dialects of English book series. To discuss your book idea or submit a proposal, please contact Natalie Fecher.